What a run it’s been for the purple and gold over the last month or so. After falling against Texas in late-December, The Tigers have continued to show improvement and are now playing like one of the best teams in the country. Notably, LSU basketball guard Jordan Wright has been a big part of it, recently receiving All-SEC level praise from Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams.
Jordan Wright is on a roll in SEC play
As Tiger basketball approached the end of the 2023 calendar year, they had a record of 6-5 and were in desperate need of a spark. The offense consistently looked shaky, and the new pieces weren’t fitting together as well as many had hoped.
However, since their December 16 loss vs. Texas, things have begun to flow, and high-level guard play has been a major part of it. Notably, this was right around the time that transfer point guard Jalen Cook was first deemed eligible.
Since entering the lineup, Cook has averaged 14.9 points, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.6 rebounds per game. He immediately added depth and ball control that the Tigers severely lacked prior.
However, one player who has quickly turned the corner as one of the best players in the conference is guard Jordan Wright. While he certainly adds high-level play on offense, it’s his defense that truly stands out.
Since December 21, the former Vanderbilt Commodore is averaging 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game. For context, those would all be career-high numbers for the fifth-year senior.
Add in the fact that he’s making 44 percent of his shots from the field during that same stretch – it’s not hard to see how he’s impacting the overall level of play for the Tigers right now.
Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams describes the LSU basketball guard as an All-SEC level player
As good as Jordan Wright has been, it’s not just people in-house who are beginning to take notice. Coaches around the conference recognize what he’s done, and most recently, the LSU basketball guard caught the eye of Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams.
“Six (Jordan Wright) was – I mean, he just dominated the game,” the Aggie head coach said after Saturday’s matchup between the two teams. “He was the player of the year in the SEC in our game. And since then, he’s for sure a first-team guy, and he’s still in the mention for player of the year. He had 20 and 10 against us, and three of those 10 were offensive rebounds.
“Averaging 14 shots a game, is really hard to guard. He can make decisions regardless of which hand he’s dribbling with, and he plays with such great force. However you want to handle the ball screen, whatever your decision is, he can beat you with power, and number three (Jalen Cook) can beat you with speed.”
Jordan Wright will get his next opportunity to show out for the Tigers on Wednesday, as they’ll travel to Athens, GA, to face off against the 13-5 Georgia Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. CST on SEC Network.
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